The effect of emotional intelligence on turnover behaviors among call center employees

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HaeYoun Choi

Korea Counseling Graduate University

Sanghee Kim

Sogang University

Sangeun Lee

Korea Counseling Graduate University

JaeYoon Chang

Sogang University

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on turnover behaviors among call center employees. We investigated the relationship between EI and turnover behaviors during 190 days at two call centers located in Korea. Survival analyses revealed that EI significantly reduced turnover rate after controlling for the Big 5 personality traits. Specifically, most of the employees with low EI quit their jobs within the first 2 months while only half of the employees with high EI did. The importance of EI in the emotional labor settings and suggestions for the future research are discussed.